Related

Tuesday is Pancake Day — a Christian tradition in which pancakes are eaten on the last day before Lent in order to use up rich ingredients such as butter, eggs and cream — and a very good excuse to have pancakes for supper.

This surprisingly delicious recipe offers an updated notion of both what you might need to use up and a culturally specific cuisine.

More like Jewish latkes, these jewel-coloured pancakes are made with beets, carrots and onions — the very ingredients you may be despairing of ever using up if you’re part of a local vegetable delivery service.

“I am a card carrying beet hater but this is a great recipe,” said one of the dozens of four-fork reviews on the website Epicurious (the recipe first appeared in Bon Appétit magazine.) “I get so many beets from my CSA I had to do something.”

A reviewer from Montreal said she loves latkes, but these are now her preferred vegetable pancake: “A delicious way to eat beets, crispy and with just a touch of sweetness.”

The pancakes make a great side dish with roast chicken, or, a delicious vegetarian main course, with a big salad on the side. Because of the flour-coated fried onion, I think, they taste more like onion rings than borscht or other dishes you might associate with beets.

And they helped make a dent in the bags of lovely organic beets, carrots and onions I got from Rainbow Heritage Garden near Cobden, where Zach and Kylah Dobson put an astounding 10,000 pounds of root vegetables into their underground cellar this winter. They have still have lots more: to sign up for the next delivery into Ottawa, which is on Sunday Feb. 17, email rainbowheritage@gmail.com.

Beet and Carrot Pancakes

These are quick to make if you have a food processor with a shredder disk. They’re also such a vivid hot pink, you could serve them as a Valentine’s Day dish.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.